Friendship match held in L.A. to mark 50th anniversary of "Ping-Pong Diplomacy"

Connie Sweeris (2nd L) and her husband Dell Sweeris (1st L), a U.S. couple who once experienced the ice-breaking "Ping-Pong diplomacy" in the 1970s as table tennis players, play an exhibition match with USATT's Chief Executive Officer Virginia Sung (1st R) and Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping (2nd R) in Los Angeles, the United States, March 20, 2022. (Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, March 21 (Xinhua) -- A table tennis friendship match was held here on Sunday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Ping-Pong diplomacy" between China and the United States.

The commemorative event was jointly organized by the USA Table Tennis (USATT) and the All American Chinese Association.

U.S. youth athletes, Chinese diplomats, Chinese students and ping-pong lovers from local Chinese communities joined in the match.

For a start, Dell and Connie Sweeris, a U.S. couple who once experienced the ice-breaking "Ping-Pong diplomacy" in the 1970s as table tennis players, played an exhibition game with USATT's Chief Executive Officer Virginia Sung and Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping.

Dell Sweeris told Xinhua that the friendship match will make today's young people aware of the historic significance of "Ping-Pong diplomacy" that happened 50 years ago.

"Many of the young people have not heard the whole story or they've only heard part of the story," he said, noting that the United States and China need to maintain friendly relations.

Richard Char, chair of USATT, said in his opening speech that "Ping-Pong diplomacy" is not just a history lesson, "but something that we can experience in the moment." 

Players participate in a Ping-Pong friendship tournament in Los Angeles, the United States, March 20, 2022. (Xinhua)

Connie Sweeris (1st R) and her husband Dell Sweeris (2nd R), a U.S. couple who once experienced the ice-breaking "Ping-Pong diplomacy" in the 1970s as table tennis players, play an exhibition match with USATT's Chief Executive Officer Virginia Sung (1st L) and Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping (2nd L) in Los Angeles, the United States, March 20, 2022. (Xinhua)

A player participates in a Ping-Pong friendship tournament in Los Angeles, the United States, March 20, 2022. (Xinhua)